Lyrics Uncovered: Eric Paslay, ‘Young Forever’

When Eric Paslay sat down with Morgan Evans and Chris DeStefano in 2017 to write his "Young Forever" lyrics, the singer remembers fellow artist and songwriter Evans throwing out the idea for the song.

"At the time he was dating this girl — I believe her name was Kelsea Ballerini," Paslay says with a smile, settling into the couch at Taste of Country's studio in Nashville. "It was his idea, and it's very simple but awesome — and most of the best songs are. It was one of those moments where every line was falling out and we were like, 'Whoa!'"

Paslay recalls suggesting, "Do you remember when we were younger / So much faith we could walk on water." He wasn't sure if they could say this in a song, though. He asked his co-writers if the lyric was sacrilegious, but they disagreed, saying it was an "awesome line."

"I love Jesus. I'm not trying to be sacrilegious by saying that line," Paslay insists. "It's opening up your thoughts. It's knowing that anything is possible with the greatest love of all, and that it's not about you, either."

"This song is very simple, but it can get deep if you want it to. It's those moments where there's some smart with some very simple," he adds of the "Young Forever" lyrics.

He brought forth some of the lines for reference: "Kings and queens / lighting up the boulevard / If I had one wish we'd be together, young forever."

"That's a great feeling," he muses. "And I think everybody wants to feel that again. I hope when people are 100 years old, they go skydiving."

"The reflection in the mirror shouldn't reflect how old you are. I think this year I realized that nobody's old ... One hundred years isn't that long if you're lucky enough to get there," Paslay adds.

One line in particular on "Young Forever" explains this youthful outlook on life. "Do you remember believing in magic /Taking a chance just 'cause we had it," Paslay sings.

That lyric clearly speaks to him. "You start learning things and you go, 'I kind of wish I didn't know that,' but that's life," he notes. "You remember believing in magic. You cannot create this on your own. It comes out of nowhere. You're creating something out of nothing and all of a sudden the chemicals are rushing and you go, 'Wow, who are you? Nice to meet you. Let's have fun.'"

Paslay adds that this feeling isn't just reserved to romantic venues. It can be a platonic venture by having fun with friends, taking chances, and not knowing what's going to happen.

"Living life and not just pulling in the same cul-de-sac and parking in your garage and doing the same thing over and over again," he clarifies.

The anthemic song features group vocals provided by Paslay's co-writers and band. He says he wanted to make "Young Forever" feel all inclusive and inspiring, as well as allow his fans to sing along when they hear it live.

"My prayer for every song is to be impactful," he concedes. "There's something around this song that just feels good."